Shoeprints made in blood at the scene where an elderly Co Clare farmer was beaten and robbed matched those on runners worn by the man accused of his murder when he was arrested four days later, the Central Criminal Court has been told.
A forensic scientist told the jury that the odds against exact matches occurring between two shoeprints found at the scene and shoes other than those worn by the accused were "astronomical".
He showed wear marks on a pair of Fila runners owned by the accused to the jury, as well as impressions left on floorboards in the bedroom in the farmer's house and said: "I have no doubt whatsoever but that these impressions where made by that runner."
Dr Thomas Hannigan of the Forensic Science Laboratory at the Department of Justice was giving evidence for the prosecution in the trial of Mr William Campion (31), of no fixed abode but formerly of Pineview Gardens, Moyross, Limerick. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Patrick "Paud" Skehan (68), who was attacked during a robbery at his home between April 9th-10th, 1998, at Ardataggle, Bridgetown, O'Brien's Bridge, near Killaloe. Mr Campion also denies burglary and trespassing with intent to steal on the same dates.
When Mr Skehan was found by a neighbour on the morning of April 10th 1998, he was hanging upside down in his kitchen He remained in a semi-conscious state before his death from bronchial pneumonia in hospital on June 3rd.
Dr Thomas Hannigan said he examined two complete footprints of a right and left shoe on two sections of floorboards. "They were of the same pattern and, I also found, of the same approximate size as those taken from William Campion," he said.
Comparing wear marks on Mr Campion's runners with the shoeprint impressions on the floorboards and photographs of those impressions left him in no doubt that these impressions were made by Mr Campion's runners.
Cross-examined by Mr Michael Maloney, for the defence, Dr Hannigan ruled out the sole of a Fila-type runner found in a ditch some distance from Mr Shekan's house as a source of the footprints in the house. He said that while more than 100,000 Fila runners may have been imported in a year, the brand came with different styles, different sole patterns and different sizes.
The trial before Mr Justice O Caoimh and a jury continues.